Climate is a state-of-the art boutique theatre laboratory in the heart of San Francisco. Termed, “a vital scene and vibrant avenue for some of the most dynamic and promising crossover and experimental work around,” by the SF Bay Guardian. This tiny organization has been responsible for some surprisingly large cultural ripples- including Craigslist, which began as an interactive mailing list for the venue, and being the first Fiscal Sponsor for Burning Man.

Home over the past 30 years to a who’s who of Bay Area performance, the theatre was the force behind a number of artistic movements, including the now legendary Solo Mio performance festival, Festival Fantochio modern puppetry festival, and the Glass Haus events (which rapidly became the Studio 54 of the dot com era’s boom & bust). As theatre critic Rob Avila puts it, “So much sprang from the Climate’s operation in the 1980s and ’90s that the outfit was soon labeled ‘the biggest little theater in San Francisco.'”

Founded by impressarios Marsha Crosby & Joegh Bullock in 1985, the helm was taken over in 2007 by Artistic Director Jessica Heidt (Magic Theatre). Since then, it has blossomed as a central hub for cutting-edge festivals, theatre, circus arts, hip-hop performance, clowning, music, and new emergent art forms. Performers include John Gilkey (Cirque Du Soleil), Monique Jenkinson/Fauxnique, and Paul Nathan (Dark Kabaret). Currently, Climate Theatre is headed by Joegh Bullock as Artistic Director, Christopher Roesing as Development Director, and Laird Archer as Consigliere. It currently produces Super Hero Street Fair and is the Fiscal Sponsor of Earth Day San Francisco. Climate is more than ever a space that stands at the center of emerging cultural traditions. In the words of Cirque’s Gilkey “This is the place that has open doors for the forward stuff, and that’s what excites me.”